Portrait of Professor Sauerbruch 

Editor: Here we have Max Liebermann’s "Portrait of Professor Sauerbruch," an oil painting that looks like it was done with really thick paint. It feels very intense, almost confrontational, because it's so close up. What do you see in this piece? Curator: From a formalist perspective, the painting presents a fascinating study in texture and line. Consider the impasto technique, where the oil paint is applied so thickly that it stands out from the surface. Note how this thickness accentuates the brushstrokes, giving the work a raw, immediate quality. The heavy use of impasto creates strong light and shadow contrasts. Do you see how Liebermann employs these contrasts to define Sauerbruch’s features and even hint at the professor’s character? Editor: I do, but it almost feels… unfinished? Like it’s a study rather than a complete portrait. Curator: Perhaps, but consider that the expressive quality is achieved specifically through the bold application of paint. Note also the strategic use of line—the stark lines defining the glasses and the softer, less defined ones shaping the face. The interplay between these deliberate structures, coupled with seemingly unfinished areas, create an energy that a more polished painting might lack. What effect do you think that contrast has on the viewer? Editor: I think it makes the viewer focus on specific areas while leaving others to be filled in with imagination. The textures and stark contrasts become much more expressive than any realistic rendering could be. Curator: Precisely. It is a powerful demonstration of how materiality and structure can shape the viewer's understanding, far beyond a simple representation. Editor: I never would have thought of it that way. Curator: I learned a great deal today as well.